10 facts about our 16 th president

Published: Friday, November 9, 2012 at 02:46 PM.

One of the buzzed about movies of 2012 doesn’t feature car chases, 3D effects or superheroes.

“Lincoln” stands out for two reasons – its director is Steven Spielberg and its star, Daniel Day Lewis, who time-after-time seemingly becomes the character he is playing.

The film, out Friday, offers a glimpse into one of the darkest periods of the 16 th president’s life. It covers a four-month span in which the country is decimated by war and Lincoln is fighting Congress and even his own supporters over the 13 th amendment abolishing slavery.

Here’s a look at the life of one of the most revered and despised presidents.

“THE 10”

1. Lincoln was no fan of frontier living. He hated fishing and hunting and despised the manual labor that came with living on his family’s farm.

2. He had only 18 months of formal education but loved reading and taught himself to be a lawyer.

One of the buzzed about movies of 2012 doesn’t feature car chases, 3D effects or superheroes.

“Lincoln” stands out for two reasons – its director is Steven Spielberg and its star, Daniel Day Lewis, who time-after-time seemingly becomes the character he is playing.

The film, out Friday, offers a glimpse into one of the darkest periods of the 16 th president’s life. It covers a four-month span in which the country is decimated by war and Lincoln is fighting Congress and even his own supporters over the 13 th amendment abolishing slavery.

Here’s a look at the life of one of the most revered and despised presidents.

“THE 10”

1. Lincoln was no fan of frontier living. He hated fishing and hunting and despised the manual labor that came with living on his family’s farm.

2. He had only 18 months of formal education but loved reading and taught himself to be a lawyer.

3. He didn’t have a head for business. He bought a store at age 23 but ending up in debt. It took him 17 years to pay off the $1,000 loan he and partner took out to start the business.

4. He believed women should be allowed to vote.

5. A man who challenged him to a duel backed out when he got a good look at his tall opponent – Lincoln stood 6 feet, four inches.

6. He had no middle name.

7. He was disorganized – often carrying important papers in his stovepipe hat so he wouldn’t lose them.

8. His son was saved by the brother of the man who would eventually assassinate the president. Edwin Booth grabbed Robert Lincoln after Lincoln slipped from a train platform.

9. Lincoln had a reputation for melancholy and his wife struggled with depression, but theirs was a marriage fraught with tragedy. Three of their four sons died before age 18.

10. He ran for the U.S. Senate twice, losing both times. He served one term in the House of Representatives.

SEPARATE BOX

5 THINGS ABOUT THE MOVIE

1. Liam Neeson was originally set to play Lincoln but later decided he was too old for the part.

2. Sally Field campaigned tirelessly for the role of Mary Todd Lincoln. Spielberg originally felt she was too old for the part but her screen test convinced him.

3. Daniel Day Lewis made an audio of himself as Lincoln and sent it to director Spielberg with clear instructions that only Spielberg was to listen to the recording.

4. Spielberg , who wore a suit to the movie set every day, said 12 years of research went into the movie.

5. During the making of the movie, which took 3 ½ months, Spielberg referred to Daniel Day-Lewis is “Mr President.”